Unification Church head faces 13-year sentence in Kim Keon Hee bribery case

A special counsel team on Friday sought a 13-year prison term for Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja on multiple charges that include bribing the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team made the sentencing recommendation at the Seoul Central District Court after indicting Han for her alleged role in gifting a luxury necklace and Chanel bags to former first lady Kim Keon Hee through an intermediary while requesting favors for the church in July 2022.

Han faces other charges, including violating the Political Funds Act for allegedly colluding with former church officials to hand 100 million won ($66,400) to Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) in January 2022.

Special prosecutors alleged Han sought Kweon's help in gaining favors for the church in the event of Yoon's election as president later that year.

Min's team also sought prison terms for others indicted in the case, including a 10-year sentence for a former chief of staff of Han and a three-and-a-half-year term for Yun Young-ho, a former head of the church's global headquarters.

"With the goal of realizing unity between religion and state, the defendants used massive funds to collude with political forces, intervened in elections and politics, and unfairly used public authority," the team said.

"This is a grave crime that directly violated the constitutional spirit of separation of religion and politics, and harmed representative democracy."

Han has denied the allegations during her trial, accusing former church official Yun of acting on his own.

Yonhap